South Korea's fair trade watchdog said Wednesday it has decided to impose 1.62 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in fines on 15 financial companies for colluding in government bond auctions for more than three years. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said the firms, all primary dealers comprising 10 brokerage houses and five banks, exchanged information on bidding yields and volumes through phone calls and messaging apps regarding 150 auctions between January 2020 and June 2023. It marked the largest fi